Light sensitive photothermographic film is used in many applications ranging from photocopying apparatuses to graphic arts to medical imaging systems. For example, laser imagers are widely employed in the field of medical imaging to produce visual representations on photothermographic film of digital image data generated by various scanners, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners and computer tomography (CT) scanners. Laser imagers typically include some type of film supply system, a film exposure system, a film processing system, and a transport system that moves and guides film through the laser imager along a transport path from the supply system and through the exposure and processing systems to an output.
Transport systems generally employ one or more spring-loaded roller sets that form a portion of and transport film along the transport path through the laser imager. Such roller sets typically consist of a urethane coated drive roller and some type of idler roller system including a urethane coated idler roller which is held in contact with the drive roller. One such idler roller system includes a bearing retainer which holds a bearing and fits into and slides in an opening in a side wall of the imaging apparatus. A shaft of the idler roller extends through the bearing and bearing retainer and includes one machined groove, adjacent to the bearing retainer and positioned exterior to the imaging apparatus and one machined shoulder adjacent to the bearing retainer but within an interior of the imaging apparatus. To secure the bearing retainers and shaft within the imaging apparatus, a clip, or e-ring, is installed in the machined grooves on each end of the idler roller shaft.
While such an idler roller system is effective at securing the bearing and idler roller, the use of multiple e-rings and corresponding grooves make it relatively costly to manufacture and the cumbersome nature of installation makes it relatively costly to assemble. In light of the above, there is a need for an improved idler roller system and, in particular, an improved bearing retainer.